Increase the exchange of CPG promotional offers and coupons among consumers

US consumers have exchanged 1.75 trillion CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) coupons in the first half of 2011, according to the latest NCH data. This represents an increase of 2.9% compared to the first half of 2010.

In addition, the exchange of CPG coupons in that year had shown an increase of 7.9% compared to the first half of 2009. In turn, this period, which many consider the lowest of the economic recession, had meant another increase in to the year 2008, in this case, of 18.9%.

A curious fact is that consumers are redeeming more CPG coupons at a time when sellers are distributing less of this type of coupons. This year they distributed 167 billion coupons, a decrease of 6.2% compared to the 178 billion they distributed in the first half of 2008.

As for how the coupons were delivered, 89.6% were distributed in free pre-printed insertion format (FSI), an increase of 2% compared to 87.5% during the first half of 2010. Of the remaining 10 , 4%, most of them (4.4%) were in stores as pamphlets, while other methods include direct mail (2.4%) and magazines (1.3%).

The funny thing is that relatively few CPG coupons were assigned to the digital format, being included in the “remaining formats” category and representing approximately 2% of all the coupons distributed, and here we must take into account that there are, for example, newspapers, among others).

The average nominal value of a CPG coupon was $ 1.57, an increase of 5% compared to $ 1.49 in the first half of 2010. In addition, 27% of coupons required multiple purchases, compared to 24% of the first semester of last year.

As for the average duration of a coupon, in this first semester it was 10.1 weeks, 11% less than the 11.3 weeks of the first semester of last year.

The incorporation of coupons was the most popular activity to compensate for the increase in food prices, Harris found in an April survey this year. It was cited by 72% of users. This strategy was followed by other spending cuts, including purchases in supermarkets with discounts (66%).

The study also identified other planned popular behaviors, such as mass purchases of cheap products (64%) or purchase of large quantities to obtain discounts (57%) among others.